July 29th marked the end of the Clarion West Write-a-Thon. I participated, as you know, and sought to reach my goals while raising money for the CW workshops. I raised $10. Let’s recap what else I set out to do. This is my Write-a-Thon Wrap-Up.
- Write a novel for real this time. Or, begin work (again) on longtime project Timeless Kid.
- Keep up with weekly blogging right here at Ink’s My Thing.
- Do extra reviews for my writing group, WYRM.
So, after six weeks, how did I do?
As fine gamblers across America might say, I broke even.
- Whatever Happened to Timeless kid?
I honestly did begin Timeless Kid again in earnest, and with new passion for the story I’m trying to tell. I didn’t get a big word count out of that pledge, but I have a better understanding of the characters, and a path forward in mind. It’s hard to pin down the motivations of my antagonist, so I’d call that my biggest problem right now. Yet, if it’s possible, I’d say I have an even better outline coming out of the summer Write-a-Thon, complete with chapter titles and a near blow-by-blow of events. Until the actions of my main characters are what I would call ‘pure’, I’m not comfortable charging ahead with it. I know I’d wind up unhappy.
- Is Ink Still Your Thing?
Absolutely. My goal to keep up with this blog feels like the one thing I have achieved in full over the past several weeks. I cranked out both fun activities with Dan, as well as your more standard book reviews and criticism, so I’d say that’s a win.
- What About the WYRMs?
I did not do any extra reviews to put in my writing group’s bank. On the other hand, I did keep up reasonably well reviewing. So, as I have not been the finest WYRM over these last weeks, I have been far from the worst.
There are two bonus events I would like to share. One is that I have finally finished Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the two-tome Hayao Miyazaki classic. It was great, and a review will be here soon. Suffice it to say, it was worth the wordage.
Next, I went ahead and got myself off of caffeine. It mostly had to do with my coming down with flu-like symptoms (in the middle of summer, which is odd) that included some of the worst muscle aches I can remember having. In an effort to get healthy, I decided to exercise more and cut caffeine, on the advice of my sister, rather than just let the illness run its course. Well, I got better. Not sure if it’s the result of drinking decaf or not, but I’m happy I was able to kick without too many headaches. I’m not sure I feel any better or worse for having been off caffeine; my neck’s still a little stiff, and there’s no appreciable difference in my energy level, but if I can point to one benefit, it’s that my thoughts have slowed down some. And I mean that in a good way. Being able to relax and concentrate can only help improve my writing, and my daily life.
So, that was CW Write-a-Thon 2016. With or without stated creative goals, here’s to making more progress for both you and me.
All the best,
Steven